Box Art
Game: Final Fantasy VII
First Released: January 31, 1997, Playstation
Developers: Square
Platforms: Playstation, PC, Playstation Network, Steam
Rated: T, for Comic Mischief, Mild Animated Violence, and Mild Language
First Released: January 31, 1997, Playstation
Developers: Square
Platforms: Playstation, PC, Playstation Network, Steam
Rated: T, for Comic Mischief, Mild Animated Violence, and Mild Language
How I Came To Play This Game
Start Screen
Even before I became a fan of the Final Fantasy series, there was no way I couldn't hear about Final Fantasy VII. It is debatably one of the best video games of all time, ranking alongside Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. However, I already had doubts since the first time I ever heard of the game. As far as I know, there are two different opinions. Some people have fallen in love with Final Fantasy VII and have gone overboard, dressing up like the characters and other weird stuff. The other group of people like the game, but are disgusted at the people of the other group. I finally started Final Fantasy VII after beating Final Fantasy VI. I wanted to see which group I fit into. My brother got a copy of the game first, then I bought one for myself at Slackers for $50. Original black case too!
Story
Fight With Safer Sephiroth
Unfortunately, the story is so long I had to make a completely separate page for it.
Go here to read it: http://sbishop005.weebly.com/final-fantasy-vii-story.html
Go here to read it: http://sbishop005.weebly.com/final-fantasy-vii-story.html
Pros And Cons
Story
Insert Disk One
I can't even believe the story of this one. You thought that they went overboard with the story in Final Fantasy VI, but no. They went over the edge in this game. They had to come up with the longest and most brain busting story they ever made. Way to complicated for video game standards.
Characters
Player Characters
They way the party system worked was really similar to Final Fantasy VI, but there were less members to choose from. Also, one of the characters was killed off, so there weren't enough for three complete parties. The characters each had their own story and came from different backgrounds. My favorite character was Cid Highwind, a descendent of the Dragoons from the earlier Final Fantasy games.
Gameplay
2D Background
The gameplay changed slightly. Now the overworld was in complete 3D. Whenever you entered a town or cave, however, it would switch to prerendered 2D backgrounds similar to Resident Evil. This is fine if done right, but in Final Fantasy VII, it was wrong. Depending on which area you were in, the directional pad would change. You would press right but move down instead. Also, when performing jumps, you had to be very precise. You'd become stuck in a room simply because the jump wouldn't execute and you would miss it, thinking there's nothing there. Other times you would be confused by the background itself. You may not be able to recognize places you can walk on or where stairs are connected to. The best part of the game is the battle scenes, which use better graphics than the overworld. The overworld characters use the shorty versions the previous games in the series used. However, there are flaws in the battles as well. Every now and then, the game does something completely random for no apparent reason at all. Barret seems to like to attack Cloud without warning for some reason. Also, depending on how the camera angle is, it can block you from selecting a character. This can be a huge problem if they are low on health. You won't be able to get the arrow over them to select them. Final Fantasy VII showed some impressive graphics for the time but was ruined by control. Not to mention if you ran into a wall it would automatically switch to another direction. Talk about annoying.
Graphics
The Cutscenes Had Better Graphics
The graphics were new for the Playstation, but the technology was to primitive. The overworld, cutscenes, and battle scenes used true 3D graphics but the towns and dungeons used 2D backgrounds. This was probably to save memory, but why couldn't they just use a fourth disk to hold more? Sometimes it would change from the good graphics to the 2D backgrounds without warning.
Music
This was the first Final Fantasy game to break from the musical tradition that the previous games set. For one thing, the battles don't open with the usual opening. This is saved by the battle music still being good. The thing I don't like is that they took out the second verse of the Victory Fanfare. That was my favorite part. Why not have it? Instead we get a new verse that sounds like fairy dust falling to the ground. Also, the Victory Fanfare itself is the weakest one I've ever heard. However, another version of the Victory Fanfare plays when you win a Chocobo race which includes the original second verse, so it's excusable. The airship music was pretty good, and who could forget the "One Winged Angel" that plays in the final boss battle.
Releases
It was first released for the Playstation in 1997, and a PC version was released in 1998. It was also released on the Playstation Network in 2009. An updated version of the PC version was released in 2012, and it was released on steam in 2013.
My Version's Extras
Ruby Weapon
I have the international release of the game, so it has things in it not available in the original Japanese version. The main difference is the inclusion of two superbosses Ruby Weapon and Emerald Weapon. These bosses took extreme strategies to defeat and required the players best performance.
My Rating
Most people in the world believe that this is the best game in the world. I feel the same way. You might wonder why I say so after saying all the mean things I did before. The answer is, that my favorite Final Fantasy game isn't always your favorite. The reason why people say that the game is so good is because the game impressed people with its graphics and storylines. Many games can be safely said to better than this one, such as Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Resident Evil 4. The game has gone down in history as one to remember, because it's impossible not to remember. I give this game a 10/10.